HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL HOLDS SECOND SESSION UNTIL 6 OCTOBER

The Human Rights Council will hold its second session from 18 September to 6 October 2006. The session will be devoted to hearing the reports of the special procedures of the Council, including Special Rapporteurs, Experts and Working Groups.

The Council inherited a large group of thematic or country-specific procedures and mechanisms from the Commission on Human Rights and according to General Assembly resolution A/60/251, which created the Council, it has to review, and where necessary improve and rationalize, all mandates within one year after the holding of its first session.

At the end of its first session, which was held from 19 to 30 June, the Council decided to establish an open-ended intergovernmental Working Group to formulate concrete recommendations on the issue of reviewing and, where necessary, improving and rationalizing all mandates, mechanisms, functions and responsibilities in order to maintain a system of special procedures, expert advice and a complaint procedure, through open-ended, intersessional, transparent, well scheduled and inclusive consultations, with the participation of all stakeholders.

Louise Arbour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, will address the Council at its opening meeting.

The first week and the beginning of the second week of the session will be devoted to hearing from the thematic special procedures on the following topics: racism and racial discrimination, people of African descent, migrants, internally displaced persons, minorities, indigenous peoples, extrajudicial and summary executions, enforced disappearances, children in armed conflict, violence against women, trafficking in persons, torture, arbitrary detention, the independence of judges, freedom of religion and belief, freedom of expression, human rights defenders, the right to health, toxic and dangerous products and waste, housing, food, poverty, sale of children, economic and structural reform, mercenaries, education, transnational corporations, and human rights and counter-terrorism measures.

The Council will then consider the reports of country-specific Special Rapporteurs and Experts, including on Belarus, Somalia, Cuba, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Cambodia, Haiti, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Sudan and Liberia.

After the Experts will present their reports, the Council will hold an inter-active dialogue with each of them, with the participation of Member States, observer States and non-governmental organizations.

Meetings of the 1503 procedure, during which the Council considers the situation of human rights violations in certain countries behind closed doors, will be held. During the third week, the Council will hear the progress report of the intersessional open-ended intergovernmental Working Group which it established to develop the modalities of the universal periodic review mechanism; and the progress report of the Working Group on the implementation of operative paragraph 6 of General Assembly resolution A/60/251 to review, and where necessary improve and rationalize, all mandates of its special procedures within one year. The Council will also discuss the two special sessions it has held so far, on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and on Lebanon and follow-up to them.

Reports to be Considered by the Council

All dates for the consideration of reports are given according to the draft timetable proposed by the President which will be adopted along with the agenda and organization of work after the Council opens the second session.

Country Specific Reports

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, Adrian Severin, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/36 on 19 September in the afternoon.

The Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, Ghanim Alnajjar, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/112 on 26 September in the morning.

The Personal Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Cuba, Christine Chanet, will present her report E/CN.4/2006/33 on 26 September in the morning.

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, John Dugard, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/29 on 26 September in the morning.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for human rights in Cambodia, Yash Ghai, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/110 and Add.1 on 26 September in the afternoon.

The Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Haiti, Louis Joinet, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/115 on 26 September in the afternoon.

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Vitit Muntarbhorn, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/35 on 26 September in the afternoon.

The Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Burundi, Akich Okola, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/109 on 27 September in the morning.

The Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Titinga Frederic Pacere, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/113 on 27 September in the morning.

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/34 on 27 September in the morning.

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Sudan, Sima Samar, will present her report E/CN.4/2006/111 on 27 September in the afternoon.

The Independent Expert on advisory services and technical cooperation in Liberia, Charlotte Abaka, will present her report E/CN.4/2006/114 on 29 September in the morning.

Reports on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights


The Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Paul Hunt, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/48 and his report on his mission to Uganda E/CN.4/2006/48/Add.2 on 21 September in the afternoon.

The Special Rapporteur on the adverse effects of the illicit movement and dumping of toxic and dangerous products and wastes on the enjoyment of human rights, Okechukwu Ibeanu, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/42 and his report on his mission to Ukraine E/CN.4/2006/42/Add.2 on 21 September in the afternoon.

The Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, Miloon Kothari, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/41 and his reports on his mission to Iran E/CN.4/2006/41/Add.2 and his mission to Cambodia E/CN.4/2006/41/Add.3 on 21 September in the afternoon. He will also offer oral reports on his missions to Australia and to Lebanon/Israel.

The Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/44 and his reports on his missions to Guatemala E/CN.4/2006/44/Add.1 and to India E/CN.4/2006/44/Add.2 on 22 September in the morning.

The Independent Expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty, Arjun Sengupta, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/43 and his report on his mission to the United States E/CN.4/2006/43/Add.1 on 22 September in the morning.

The Independent Expert on the effects of economic reform polices and foreign debt on the full enjoyment of all human rights Bernards Andrew Nyamwaya Mudho, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/46, containing a final draft of general guidelines to be followed by States and by private and public, national and international financial institutions in the decision-making and execution of debt payments and structural reform programmes, and his report on his mission to Mozambique E/CN.4/2006/46/Add.1 on 22 September in the afternoon.

The Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Vernor Munoz Villalobos, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/45 and the report on his mission to Botswana E/CN.4/2006/45/Add.1 on 25 September in the afternoon. He will also present an oral report on his mission to Germany.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, John Ruggie, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/97 on 25 September in the afternoon.

Reports on Discrimination, Minorities and Indigenous Issues

The Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Doudou Diene, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/16 as well as his reports on his missions to Japan E/CN.4/2006/16/Add.2 and to Brazil E/CN.4/2006/16/Add.3 and a preliminary note on his mission to Switzerland E/CN.4/2006/16/Add.4 on 18 September in the afternoon. He will also present his report on the situation of Muslim and Arab peoples in various parts of the world E/CN.4/2006/17 and his updated study on political platforms which promote or incite racial discrimination E/CN.4/2006/54 as well as an oral report on his mission to the Russian Federation.

The Working Group of experts on people of African descent will present its report E/CN.4/2006/19 as well as the report on its mission to Belgium E/CN.4/2006/19/Add.1 on 18 September in the afternoon.

The Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Jorge Bustamante, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/73 as well as the report on his mission to Burkina Faso E/CN.4/2006/73/Add.2 on 18 September in the afternoon.

The Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights of internally displaced persons, Walter Kalin, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/71 on 19 September in the morning. He will also present his reports on the framework for national responsibility E/CN.4/2006/71/Add.1 and on his missions to Nepal E/CN.4/2006/71/Add.2, to Croatia E/CN.4/2006/71/Add.3, to Bosnia and Herzegovina E/CN.4/2006/71/Add.4, to Serbia and Montenegro E/CN.4/2006/71/Add.5, to the Sudan E/CN.4/2006/71/Add.6 and to Georgia E/CN.4/2006/71/Add.7 will also be presented, as well as oral reports on his missions to Turkey and Côte d’Ivoire.

The Independent Expert on minority issues, Gay McDougal, will present her report E/CN.4/2006/74 as well as an oral report on her mission to Hungary on 19 September in the morning.

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, Rodolfo Stavenhagen, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/78 on 19 September in the morning. He will also present his reports on an analysis of country situations and other activities E/CN.4/2006/78/Add.1, on his mission to South Africa E/CN.4/2006/78/Add.2, on his mission to New Zealand E/CN.4/2006/78/Add.3, and his progress report on the best practises carried out to implement the recommendations contained in his general and country reports E/CN.4/2006/78/Add.4. He will also present an oral report on his mission to Ecuador.

The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Yakin Erturk, will present her report E/CN.4/2006/61on 20 September in the morning. She will also present the reports on her missions to the Russian Federation E/CN.4/2006/61/Add.2, to Iran E/CN.4/2006/61/Add.3, to Mexico E/CN.4/2006/61/Add.4 and to Afghanistan E/Cn.472006/61/Add.5. She will also present oral reports on her missions to Turkey, Sweden and the Netherlands.

The Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children, Sigma Huda, will present her report E/CN.4/2006/62 on 20 September in the morning. She will also present the reports on her missions to Bosnia and Herzegovina E/CN.4/2006/62/Add.2 and to Lebanon E/CN.4/2006/62/Add.3

Reports on Civil and Political Rights

The Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/53on 19 September in the afternoon. He will also present his report on follow-up to country recommendations E/Cn.4/2006/53/Add.2, on transparency on the death penalty E/CN.4/2006/53/Add.3, and on his missions to Nigeria E/CN.4/2006/53/Add.4 and to Sri Lanka E/CN.4/2006/53/Add.5. He will provide oral reports on his missions to Guatemala and Lebanon/Israel.

The Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances will present its report E/CN.4/2006/56 on 19 September in the afternoon. It will also present the report on its mission to Colombia E/CN.4/2006/56/Add.1.

The Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Manfred Nowak, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/6 on 20 September in the afternoon. He will also present his reports on follow-up to country recommendations E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.2 and on his missions to Georgia E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.3, to Mongolia E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.4, to Nepal E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.5 and to China E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.6. The Special Rapporteur will also present an oral report on his mission to Jordan.

A joint report E/CN.4/2006/120 on the situation of detainees at Guantanamo Bay will be presented on 21 September in the morning. The following experts participated in the joint report: the Working Group on arbitrary detention; Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Leandro Despouy, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Manfred Nowak, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Asma Jahangir, and Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Paul Hunt.

The Working Group on arbitrary detention will present its report E/CN.4/2006/7 and its reports on its missions to Canada E/CN.4/2006/7/Add.2 and to South Africa E/CN.4/2006/7/Add.3 on 20 September in the afternoon.

The Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Leandro Despouy, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/52as well as the reports on his missions to Ecuador E/CN.4/2006/52/Add.2, to Kyrgyzstan E/CN.4/2006/52/Add.3 and to Tajikistan E/CN.4/2006/52/Add.4.

The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Asma Jahangir, will present her report E/CN.4/2006/5 on 21 September in the morning, as well as the reports on her missions to Nigeria E/CN.4/2006/5/Add.2, to Sri Lanka E/CN.4/2006/5/Add.3 and to France E/CN.4/2006/5/Add.4.

The Special Rapporteur on right to freedom of opinion and expression, Ambeyi Ligabo, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/55 on 21 September in the morning.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders, Hina Jilani, will present her report E/CN.4/2006/95 on 21September in the morning. She will also present the reports on her missions to Nigeria E/CN.4/2006/95/Add.2, to Israel and the Occupied Arab TerritoryE/Cn.4/2006/95/Add.3 and a preliminary report on her mission to Brazil E/CN.4/2006/95/Add.4. She will also present a compilation of development in the area of human rights defenders E/CN.4/2006/95/Add.5.

Other Reports

The Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Juan Miguel Petit, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/67 and his reports on his missions to Albania E/CN.4/2006/67/Add.2 and to Greece E/CN.4/2006/67/Add.3 on 22 September in the morning.

The Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity, Rudi Muhammad Rizki, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/96 on 22 September in the afternoon.

The Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination will present its report E/CN.4/2006/11 and Add.1 on 22 September in the afternoon. Oral reports on the missions of the Working Group to Honduras and Ecuador will also be presented.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, will present her report E/CN.4/2006/66 on 20 September in the morning.

The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Martin Scheinin, will present his report E/CN.4/2006/98 on 25 September in the afternoon. He will also present the preliminary report on his mission to Turkey E/CN.4/2006/98/Add.2.

The reports of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights will be considered on 27 September in the afternoon.

The reports of the 1503 procedure will be considered behind closed doors on 25 September in the morning and on 2 October in the morning.

The reports, studies and other documents prepared by the Secretariat, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights or the Secretary-General will be considered all day on 28 September.

The progress report of the Working Group on the universal periodic review will be considered on 2 October in the afternoon.

The progress report of the Working Group on the implementation of operative paragraph 6 of the General Assembly resolution 60/251 to review, and where necessary improve and rationalize, all mandates of its special procedures within one year will be considered on 3 October in the morning.

The Council will review its two special sessions held so far on the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Lebanon on 29 September in the afternoon as well as follow-up to them.

Membership of the Council

The Council is composed of 47 members (with year of term's end)

African States: Algeria (2007), Cameroon (2009), Djibouti (2009), Gabon (2008),
Ghana (2008), Mali (2008), Mauritius (2009), Morocco (2007), Nigeria (2009),
Senegal (2009), South Africa (2007), Tunisia (2007) and Zambia (2008)

Asian States: Bahrain (2007), Bangladesh (2009), China (2009), India (2007),
Indonesia (2007), Japan (2008), Jordan (2009), Malaysia (2009), Pakistan (2008),
Philippines (2007), Republic of Korea (2008), Saudi Arabia (2009) and Sri Lanka (2008)

Eastern European States: Azerbaijan (2009), Czech Republic (2007),
Poland (2007), Romania (2008), Russian Federation (2009) and Ukraine (2008)

Latin American & Caribbean States: Argentina (2007), Brazil (2008) , Cuba (2009),
Ecuador (2007), Guatemala (2008), Mexico (2009), Peru (2008) and Uruguay (2009)

Western European & Other States: Canada (2009), Finland (2007), France (2008),
Germany (2009), Netherlands (2007), Switzerland (2009) and United Kingdom(2008).

	1ST WEEK	2ND WEEK	3RD WEEK
	18 SEPTEMBER	25 SEPTEMBER	2 OCTOBER
A M	Adoption of the agenda and organization of work _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Update by the HC	Reports of the 1503 procedure (closed meeting)	Reports of the 1503 procedure (closed meeting)
P M	(1) Mr. Diène (Racism) (2) Mr. Kasanda (WG Afr. Descent) (3) Mr. Bustamante (Migrants)	(28) Mr. Muñoz Villalobos (Educ) (29) Mr. Ruggie (Trans. Corp.) (30) Mr. Scheinin (HR cont. terr.)	Progress report of WG on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
	19 SEPTEMBER	26 SEPTEMBER	3 OCTOBER
A M	(4) Mr. Toope (WG enfrcd. disapp.) (5) Ms. McDougall (Minorities) (6) Mr. Stavenhagen (Indigen.)	(31) Ms. Alnajjar (Somalia) (32) Ms. Chanet (Cuba) (33) Mr. Dugard (OPT)	Progress report of WG on the implementation of op 6 of GA resolution 60/251
P M	(7) Mr. Alston (Extra. Executns.) (8) Mr. Kälin (Intern. displaced) (9) Mr. Severin (Belarus)	(34) Mr. Ghai (Cambodia) (35) Mr. Joinet (Haiti) (36) Mr. Muntarbhorn (DPRK)	Other issues including initiatives/ issues/decisions/resolutions
	20 SEPTEMBER	27 SEPTEMBER	4 OCTOBER
A M	(10) Ms. Coomaraswamy (Children in armed conflict) (11) Ms. Ertürk (Vi. agnst women) (12) Ms. Huda (Traficking)	(37) Mr. Okola (Burundi) (38) Mr. Pacéré (DRC) (39) Mr. Pinheiro (Myanmar)	(cont’d) Joint report Lebanon/Israel
P M	(13) Mr. Nowak (Torture) (14) Ms. Zerrougui (WG Arb. Det.) (15) Mr. Despouy (Ind. Judges)	(40) Ms. Samar (Sudan) (41) Mr. Sengupta (Poverty)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ Reports of the Sub-Commission	(cont’d)
	21 SEPTEMBER	28 SEPTEMBER	5 OCTOBER
A M	(16) Ms. Jahangir (Frdm. relign.) (17) Mr. Ligabo (Frdm. expres.) (18) Joint report onGuantanamo	Reports, studies and other documents prepared by the Secretariat, HC, OHCHR or the Secretary-General (see annex I)	Conclusions or decisions
P M	(19) Mr. Hunt (Health) (20) Mr. Ibeanu (Toxic wastes) (21) Mr. Kothari (Housing)	(cont’d)	(cont’d)
	22 SEPTEMBER	29 SEPTEMBER	6 OCTOBER
A M	(22) Mr. Ziegler (Food) (23) Ms. Jilani (HR defenders) (24) Mr. Petit (Sale of children)	(cont’d) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (41) Ms. Abaka (Liberia)	(cont’d)
P M	(25) Mr. Nyamwaya Mudho (Economic and structural reform) (26) Mr. Rizki (Int. solidarity) (27) Ms. Benavides de Péréz (WG mercenaries)	Follow-up to decisions of HRC (see annex II)	Draft report of the 2nd session